(05-07-10) Strawberries Stimulate Metabolism and Suppress Appetite

June is the month for road-side stands, farmer's market deliciousness, and red
berry gathering in gardens across the world. Strawberries have been labeled by
The Fat Resistance Diet (FRD) as the fruit that can increase a hormone that
stimulates metabolism, suppresses appetite, and controls blood sugar after
starchy meals while inhibiting inflammation. This craved hormone that
strawberries trigger, adiponectin, is the fat burning hormone that works with
the hormone leptin, the hormone responsible for weight loss and gain. Having
high levels of adiponectin in the blood stream has been shown to lower the risk
of heart attack while lower levels of adiponectin are indicative of obesity.

According to FRD, "Strawberries are also a good source of Vitamin C and fiber.
One cup of strawberries has only 49 calories, and contains the minerals
magnesium, potassium and calcium. Eating high nutrient density foods such as
strawberries, with lots of nutrition for the calories consumed, is a key to
weight loss and healthy eating."

With June being the strongest month for strawberry production and sales, the
ability to obtain and use strawberries is convenient. Slicing fresh
strawberries into yogurt, granola, or organic cereals is a great way to add
strawberry power to your daily nutritional routine.

Choosing the Best Strawberries

Choosing the best available strawberries is easy and can be affordable when
knowing what to look for and what to avoid. Strawberries should be fully
ripened, bright in color with stems still attached, and medium in size. Large
strawberries are often filled with water, allowing the commercial grower a
higher sales margin with no added nutritional benefit to the consumer. Avoid
over packed containers that have bruised fruits as this can cause mildew that
is easily spread from a damaged strawberry to an otherwise healthy strawberry
in the same packaging. To avoid mildew of strawberries after purchase, it is
best to remove them from the original packaging, placing them in an airtight
container. Washing strawberries should only be done just before consumption or
long term storage such as dehydration or freezing.

Methods of Long Term Storage

When freezing strawberries, gently wash the fruit, removing pesticides and
dirt and leaving the stems attached. Remove all fruits that have been bruised
and use for smoothies. Spraying the strawberries with antioxidant abundant
lemon juice will keep the color bright in the freezer. Freezing will preserve
the vitamin and mineral content of the fruit.

Dehydrating strawberries is another great way to preserve them for long term
use. There are several methods used to dehydrate strawberries which include:
oven drying, sun drying, and dehydrator drying. Dehydrated strawberries are a
great addition to homemade granola, yogurt, cookies, granola bars, and trail
mixes.

Pesticide Alert

The Environmental Working Group has placed strawberries in the number three
position as one of the most pesticide laden foods. Pesticides are easily
absorbed through the skin of strawberries. Organic strawberries are always the
best choice for pesticide free consumption and living.

Resources:
http://www.fatresistancediet.com/he...
http://www.cbn.com/health/weightlos...
http://www.medterms.com/script/main...
http://strawberriesweb.com/strawber...
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?...
http://ucanr.org/freepubs/docs/8256.pdf
http://www.foodnews.org/fulllist.php


Source: NaturalNews

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